And Suddenly the Impossible Seems Plausible
by Pemberly Rose
Summary: A Breaking Dawn Missing Moment told in Jacob's POV post imprint. How did he get Sam's pack to back down from killing his imprint? All imprints are unique and individual to the pair. How did he see the world through new eyes?


**AN: Wildfires are a bit of a seasonal happening in the Southwest. We often get them in the dry summer months, and over the past few years they've slowly been getting worse. This summer was no different. I live in Arizona – one of the states affected by the wildfires. This subject hits home for me in a way that nothing else really will. I know people who lost their homes because of the Wallow fire. I know others who were lucky to go back to their homes. **

**When I learned of this compilation, I knew I had to be involved. But what to write? It took me time to figure it out, but I finally decided on this - a Breaking Dawn missing moment. We only have vague allusions to Nessie meeting the pack and imprints. We never got to see Jacob's POV post imprint. Nor did we get to see how Billy and Sam took the whole hybrid imprint idea either. So, drawing upon my canon knowledge, I pieced together this missing moment in all Jacob's POV that hopefully will bridge the gap. This is rated T for teen or PG for some mildly foul language. It's mainly fluff and some good ole Jake snark.**

**I hope you all enjoy this missing moment as much as I've enjoyed writing it. The banner you see below was made by Ninkybaby. She did an amazing job. Always much love to my beta and my lovely prereaders whom I so adore. **

**Enjoy, and thank you for donating to this cause! It means so much that you all did so! **

**-Pemberly Rose**

_Missing Moment Playlist (in order)_

_1. Black Sheep by Metric _

_2. Closer To The Edge by 30 Seconds To Mars_

_3. Thistle & Weeds by Mumford & Sons_

_4. Wake Up by Arcade Fire_

_5. A Means To An End by Joy Division _

_6. Can't Take It In by Imogen Heap _

_7. Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles_

_8. Across the Universe by Jim Sturgess (originally The Beatles)_

_9. Hoppípolla by Sigur Ros_

* * *

><p><em>Jacob<em>

**And Suddenly The Impossible Seems Plausible**

_All because of one amazing little girl..._

It was late, or early, depending on how you look at it. The dust had settled for the time being around the initial reactions of the imprint. Until it would be time for Bella to wake up, that is. Add telling Bella I imprinted on her daughter to the list of things-I-never-want-to-do. Shock was the running theme whenever anyone found out. Unexpected things just ruled my life now. Like anyone could've seen that male vampires could father children. Or that the crazy draw Bella had always had for me was really the pull toward a future. A push in a direction towards a soulmate who shared Bella's DNA. Even stranger and more fascinating was that she's half vampire. What did that say about all I knew to be true about the wolves? Were we truly the enemy of vampires? Or was this a special case because of the family she was born into? Maybe the treaty between our two families was meant to be. To bring a stronger alliance later on. Was Ephriam compelled to believe that the Cullens valued human life because I would imprint on one of them someday? The inner workings of fate and destiny were enough to give me a migraine.

The conversation around me didn't matter as I watched the little girl asleep in Rosalie's arms. A sweet innocent being who loved everyone she met with equal fervor. Accepting and compassionate even exponentially more than Bella had ever been. She already felt a connection between her and I. A bond of friendship was already forming between us. She felt a draw to me as I did to her. Yet at the same moment she realized it, accepted it, that I was supposed to be in her life, a part of her family. So adept and intelligent for someone so young. I couldn't fathom what the future would hold for her.

But right now, that future wasn't quite as bright as it should be.

"Well, what about Sam?" Emmett asked, looking around the room. The threat of Sam's pack still loomed over her head. An axe on a thin thread ready to fall and kill her. Maybe it was just the imprint. Maybe it was the reality I'd learned of how precious and important she really is to her family. It was probably both, but I felt the need to protect her, to set things right again.

He was right. Now that she was born, he'd be gunning for the Cullens. Gunning for her. And that I couldn't allow. He didn't understand the permission I'd given to Edward. Furthermore, he didn't understand how much everything had changed. I looked to her again, sleeping peacefully despite all the drama around her. How wrong had I been about her? Of course Bella had been right all along. The little hybrid girl was worth protecting. Worth standing up for. It had only taken the proverbial bonk to the head to get me to see that.

"I'll talk to him," I said, grabbing everyone's attention once again. To say the atmosphere had been tense when Edward and Rosalie learned about the imprint was a drastic understatement. The looks on Carlisle and Esme's faces when they found out, even Alice and Jasper's expressions had all been, in a word: _priceless_. Emmett found it hilarious but was willing to back Edward up in case he acted on trying to kill me. I wouldn't have blamed him. I knew exactly how it looked. But I also knew the reality of the imprint. Appearances can be deceiving. Jasper tried to diffuse the tension emotionally and physically by putting himself between us but both Edward and Rosalie were almost homicidal. I never thought I'd be happy that Edward could see into my head more than that moment. Or that Jasper could sense my emotional state. Talk about life doing a total one-eighty. Seeing the purity of this kind of imprint stopped Edward from doing any real damage. Even if I wasn't his favorite person in the world, I could deal with that, and he understood, realizing that I no longer wanted to harm anyone. My mind revolved around the well being of that little girl now. She's my gravity. Holding me rooted and adjusting my priorities accordingly. However, instead of weighing me down, I felt weightless. Relieved.

Heartache was all but gone. Just a dulled memory. In all the time I spent plotting her death because of her existence, I hadn't thought once that she was just a baby. A new life. A blank slate waiting to be written on. Yet she healed me. Healed the wounds Bella's rejection had sliced across my heart. Stitching me up. I was no longer broken. I still cared for Bella, but now it was different. Healthier even. And that was a relief in itself. The madness of the past few days all made a crazy amount of sense to me in hindsight. Figures it would. Gone was the obsession I had for the girl who should have only ever been my friend. We'd confused it. Blurred lines that should have stayed crystal clear. Do I regret it? No. I never would either. Even when I'd eventually have to explain it to Nessie. It was a part of my story. My past that didn't dictate my present and future any longer.

Now I hoped she made it through the transition for Nessie's sake. An odd thing to hope for. Days ago I wished for Bella's death instead of a life as a moving crystalline statue. Things were clearer now. A little girl needed her mother in her life. Rosalie was a good enough proxy to fill the void for now, but she was persistent. Nessie wanted Bella. I didn't blame her. When you're young and constantly bombarded with new things, you look to the comfort of the familiar. She only had one memory of her. A sweaty and bloodied image of her mother as she lay dying from bringing her child into the world. Nessie asked for her constantly with her ability. Everyone gave her the stock answer that she was sleeping, healing and changing. I had been the only one to lay it out there for her that Mama had to become like Daddy to be with them both forever. Who knew I had tact? Either way, she appreciated the sugar-coated candor.

"You're not the only species that has laws you know," I offered. A day or two ago I had no idea that vampires had any semblance of law or order. Another thing I was so completely off base with. Those misconceptions were piling up nicely. How wrong had I been? Very, from what I could tell. "We do too," I added. Our laws weren't something to be scoffed at either. These were big laws, unbreakable and unforgiving. Ones that required a duel to the death if they were broken. Nessie's my imprint and I had to do whatever it takes to protect her. Her safety's paramount. To give her the opportunity for a long and happy life. Even if it meant going back and telling my old pack what's what.

_You know it's important, Edward. Your daughter's safety is at stake. I could use a little back up. _Edward was still upstairs, holding vigil over Bella's corpse. Her heartbeat was slowing fractionally every minute. It wouldn't be much longer, maybe a little more than a day before she'd wake up to a brand new body and raging thirst. Alice was all too happy to have Bella back in focus again. Her assurances only meant two things to me. One being that Nessie would soon have her mother back. Her singular desire and need could be met and I for one was happy for that. The second was telling Bella about the imprint. A trickier task to take on.

Carlisle reached to take Nessie for a little while. Ness was a hot commodity it seemed. She was passed to everyone so they could get a chance to bond with her. She won them over, even just sleeping like right now. Nessie was becoming one thing everyone bonded over, sealing familial ties between them all that had only been roles for them to play before. Rosalie handed Nessie to Carlisle who lit up like a Christmas tree at her, fast asleep in cold stony arms. "Exactly what are you planning, mutt?" Rosalie spat. I sighed. I really hated her. Okay, maybe not hate, per se. She did have a tendency to grate on my nerves. Nessie seemed to enjoy her company, however. The depth of her ability to love her family astounded me and just a day old to boot.

"I'll go back to the Rez and talk it out with him. Alone," I added, shooting a glance to the other two in my pack. Seth grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. I could see the disapproval written all over his face. Yeah, tough cookies, kid.

His sister, on the other hand, was a bit more vocal. Awesome.

"Are you crazy?" Leah snorted, shifting nervously on her toes. I felt horrible for her. Days of being around vampires, and now I go and imprint on a half-breed. She had to be pissed. Escape Sam only to be relegated to hanging around the Cullens. The very beings she blamed for her life falling apart in the first place. "Really? Do you have a death wish? Going back alone will make him think you're pulling something big, and you know it, Jake."

I sighed, raking my hands over my face. Damned if I do and damned if I don't. Something had to give here. An imprint was a wholly sacred thing in the pack. Something that was met with awe and sometimes fear. I feared it myself a time or two, but it wasn't a loss of free will or a loss of self. I'm still me. Still Jacob Black, reluctant werewolf Alpha. I just had something more important to fight for. A higher priority to protect than my tribe had ever been to me. She was real and more tangible than just the ideology that dictated the value of human life. If anyone else would get that, Sam would. He'd understand. He of all people knew the complexities of imprinting. The trick was getting him to listen.

Jasper pursed his lips. "She has a point. It might go better if you have someone to control the situation." I eyed him carefully. Was he actually offering to play mediator between two wolves? I highly doubt that'd go over well. Especially with as scary looking as he is with all those scars.

As nice of a gesture it is, it wouldn't be a smart idea bringing a vamp to the treaty line right now. "You offering? Because no offense, Jasper, but if Sam even gets the slightest whiff of vamp stench near the line, he'll freak."

Jasper sighed. "You're right. It was an idea though. Worked out quite well when Emmett and Paul..." he trailed off. I smirked. At the time, as much as I'd hated the Cullens, I kind of enjoyed seeing Emmett take a couple of swings at Paul. So weird to think I didn't hate them anymore. Weird, huh what an apt description of how my life had changed so irrevocably in just a day. Oddly there was a strange almost funny sort of symmetry to my life now.

"Yeah too bad you didn't do any permanent damage, Emmett. He imprinted on my sister." I understood why Edward was still a bit sore about my current situation. At least this was entirely platonic. I really didn't want to walk in on Rachel and Paul kissing ever again if I could help it. What a way to learn your sister knows everything and has a wolf soul mate.

Emmett cackled. "No kidding. Does this whole imprinting thing happen often?"

I shrugged. "I don't even know anymore. The legends tell us that it's very rare and special. But there's no clear cut reason as to why. Some of us think it's tied to evolution and strength of the wolf lines. However, some of us think it's more fate than anything else. If it were just evolution, then Leah should have been imprinted on by any of the guys. She has all three wolf lineages. Hell, she could give me a run for my money for Alpha if she wanted to. I only have two, Black and Ateara. Maybe it's the persistence of such a large coven nearby. But this," I said motioning to the sleeping little girl and myself. "No one has any stories about a hybrid imprint," I explained. No one had any stories of hybrid children either.

"But they do about child imprints?" Rosalie posed, incredulous.

I cringed at the topic. To those who didn't know, it just sounded horrible. When you first learn about imprinting, you think true love at first sight, and for some of them, yeah, that is a very apt description. The only love I feel for that little girl is entirely protective. I want to shelter her from the horrors of our world. I want to see her smile every day and grow up as normally as possible. I care for her as you care for your dearest friend. On the outside, it looked like I was hanging around a baby. No one would be able to understand unless they really got what it means to imprint like this. All the more reason to keep the secrets of the packs close to the chest. No one in the human world would understand this. This was far more a situation of not being in it didn't give you objectivity. It gave you prejudice. And that was something I never wanted to expose her to.

"Yeah, we've had stories, but no one put any stock to the reality of them until Quil imprinted on Claire."

"She's a small child?" Carlisle asked.

I nodded. The day it happened, word spread through the pack like wildfire. Scandal was the word for it. Divisions in the pack developed. Paul and Jared were disturbed by the idea of a child imprint. It took them time and actual observation of Quil's thoughts when phased to see what it really meant. Sam's opinion hinged on the purity in Quil's thoughts of Claire. Embry and I had already taken Quil's side, knowing him better than any of them. But I hadn't even known how to approach Quil about it. Now here I was, imprinted and tied to the most unique little girl in the world. Sam's pack was going to be just as scandalized, probably more so this time just because she's a Cullen. "Just turned three. She's Makah and related to Emily and Leah."

"Sam's imprint is Emily, correct?" Carlisle asked further.

I cast an apologetic glance at Leah. She rolled her eyes. But underneath that exterior was a whole lot of pain she was busily sweeping under the rug. She'd been better since she broke from his pack. Less bitter and softer than before. I wondered if Bella had filled them in on what had happened to Leah. The pain she'd been going through. Maybe Edward had clued them in. I sure as Hell didn't want to and risk suffering the wrath of Leah. "Yeah."

Carlisle hummed and returned his attention to the bundled child in his arms. She was growing so fast. Already the size of a two month old. She'd be even bigger tomorrow. Her growth scared the Hell out of me. How long was this going to go on? If it stayed this way, she could very well be an old woman by ten. A shortened life. How in the Hell was that fair to her? Not enough time to explore everything there is in this world. Certainly not enough time to truly live. What did I have with her? A decade, maybe? It wasn't fair for someone so precious. There had to be something I was missing. Or was life really just as unfair as I'd thought it was a day ago?

I was getting away from the subject though. The threat from the other pack was still looming. Needing to be dealt with in diplomacy rather than war. They were my brothers, too. As much damage I'd done by burning the bridges between us, I knew that there was a definite right thing and wrong thing to do here. The right thing was staring me straight in the face all flashing and neon like an _Eat At Joe's _sign, pointing me towards one singular truth. Sam needed to know that everything had changed.

"I should go, talk to him. He'll need to know that there's no danger. And that I gave Edward an out from the treaty. Sam's not gonna like it, but hey, better to ask for forgiveness than permission right?" I mused, chuckling darkly to myself. Like I needed permission anyways. This Alpha thing was something of the permanent kind. Heredity had its final say on my place in the wolf hierarchy despite my earlier misgivings.

Esme grinned at me. She seemed to be the most okay with the whole imprint thing, which surprised me. I expected something more like Edward was furious at first until he realized that he and I wanted the same thing. To protect and keep that little girl happy. I'm sure he was still stewing about it. Telling Bella was going to be a whole other ball of wax that I was beginning to really dread. She didn't understand it when I explained about Quil and Claire. She'll be a volatile newborn now when I have to explain that I imprinted on her daughter. What are the odds, I mean, really? I heard a snicker from upstairs. I'm sure Edward would enjoy it if Bella tore me to pieces.

_Promise you'll let me tell her. She deserves to hear it from the source at least. I owe her that much. _

A sigh emanated from upstairs. I almost grinned; he relented.

_Good and we're gonna need to talk about how she meets Nessie. I don't want her freakin' and attacking her kid okay? It would kill her to hurt Nessie and you know that._ That was another thing entirely. Bella as a newborn was an unknown. From what I knew of newborns was they had an insatiable thirst and incredible strength. Nessie has blood in her system. From the flush of her cheeks to the pulsing flutter of her heart. It would destroy Bella to hurt her.

Leaving the house was harder than I thought it would be. I cast a glance at Carlisle and how he was already a proud Grandpa holding his grandchild for all to see. With trepidation and purpose, I forced myself away from the scene. This was important and crucial to her continuing safety. "Stay here, and in wolf form. I'll keep you informed," I instructed Seth and Leah as they followed me outside.

"How are you even going to talk to him? We can't hear them, remember?" she shot back. Nerves made her jittery. I understood how she felt. If you were watching your friend walk into the lion's den, you'd be just as concerned for their safety. Our brothers or not, things were still estranged and tense between the two packs.

"If I have to phase back I will. Please Leah, you know I have to do this." I wasn't going to take no for an answer either. Not when Ness's safety was on the line. I couldn't rest until I knew that Sam's pack wasn't a threat to her any longer. And it wouldn't be as soon as he knew the truth.

Seth perked up. You could almost see the lightbulb above his head flicking on. "Hey, that might work out to your advantage. Sam wouldn't think you're attacking if you're in human form. He might actually listen to you if you're not a threat."

Huh, point to the younger Clearwater. "Good idea. Yeah, I'll try to reach out. I don't know if he'll even be able to hear me, pack mind wise. But Alphas should be able to communicate somehow."

Seth shrugged. "There's never been multiple packs before." There were a lot of things that had never happened before. Never had a female wolf, for example, or an imprint that's half vampire. Learn something new every day, I guess.

"Well, we've never had an Alpha turn down his inherited responsibility, either," Leah reasoned. I narrowed my eyes at her. That was a low blow. A total cheap shot. I avoided my heredity for months. I didn't want to be a wolf, let alone pack leader. She knew that. Can't always get what you want though. However, I was learning that sometimes what you need is even better in the long run. A new sense of symmetry was open to me now. An understanding of imprinting I had never thought of before.

"True. Maybe the two packs thing is good, though. I mean, having nine other people in my head was getting annoying," Seth countered. Always looking on the bright side. As annoyingly chipper as the kid could be, he was nice to have around. A great morale booster.

I laughed a little. "Okay, you two know what to do. Take shifts and get some sleep. Even if you have to sleep inside, do it. I need you two on your A-game, just in case. After I tell Sam, I'm going to try to see Billy. Should be breakfast time by then," I mused, rubbing my stomach. Food sounded really good right about now. It would have to wait though until the air was cleared.

She grimaced, nodding. "Just be careful, okay? Sam isn't going to want to hear any of this. Especially that you imprinted," she said. Her voiced coiled around the last word almost using it like a curse word. The idea of imprinting was not something she liked, understandably. Sam imprints on Emily, breaking her heart. She breaks away from his pack to join mine, an escape from the pain and to protect Seth. Now I've become the vampire chew toy. Literally. At least from what we can tell, Nessie isn't venomous. Would have sucked if she was when she bit me the first time. Patience was not Nessie's strong suit when she was thirsty. Rosalie found that entirely too amusing when Ness impatiently chomped on my arm while the blond got her a bottle of nuked human blood. I wasn't the only one she'd bitten at feeding time. Apparently, since I had blood, I tasted better than everyone else.

"I know. Just protect her. Please, for me," I replied. She sighed, conceding. I appreciated it, even though she doubted it. "Thanks, Leah. Really," I added, jogging over to the trees, slipping off my clothes behind the brush. I was thankful to rid the expensive garb. I didn't understand how people could spend that much money on clothing. Especially when it just reeked of vampire. Then again, they'd been Emmett's clothes to begin with and barely fit me. Too short. I wadded up the clothes and tossed them out for Leah or Seth to get and give back to Esme. The heat in my spine radiated outward with ease. The run to La Push wouldn't take long. Especially if I sprinted. The easy part was this. Running on four paws always felt oddly liberating. I used to hate how easy this came for me. But now that I had someone to watch over, I was glad control came as easily as it did.

The thought of hurting Nessie twisted my stomach. It physically hurt to even imagine that I could have killed her. Strange since I had been planning that for a few days. Funny how quick the tables turn. I headed west towards the reservation. Towards home, though it didn't feel like it anymore. In one instant my home had shifted. The clarity of the imprint made me realize that I didn't lose my free will entirely. Parts of it were now entirely tied to Renesmee. But I wasn't a slave to it. She is now my first priority, but I could still choose what was best for her. Give her what she truly needs when it doesn't align with what she wants.

The forest began to thin. The highway wouldn't be far, and then La Push road and home. I followed it, sticking to the trees and keeping myself well hidden from the passing cars and logging semis.

Seth was keeping to himself, watching the house from outside it. He was a bit self congratulatory. _Finally convinced Leah to eat regular food. I don't know how you two can eat raw like that. Yuck._

A snort rolled through my muzzle. _You'd do it if you had to._

_But you didn't have to. There's perfectly amazing food in the house. I know you hate them, but..._

_I don't hate them anymore, Seth._ Weird enough to feel. Weirder to think or say. But in all honesty how could I hate them now? Nessie loved them so wholly and completely. The softening I felt toward Esme's mothering was wearing me down even more so. The imprint made it even worse. They weren't my enemy any longer. But what were they to me now? I really had no answer for that.

_Oh right. Still. All the more reason to be nice to them. They've been pretty hospitable to us._

_Yeah, we only covered their asses so Sam wouldn't attack._ A move I'm sure was now tied to the imprint. I'd been compelled to protect her before she was even born. So strange, but it made an odd sort of sense in hindsight.

_Exactly, and you got your imprint out of the deal._

_I'm failing to see how imprinting is some sort of payment for services rendered._ Like she was some kind of reward for being the one who didn't try to kill her family? If that was the case then I shouldn't have imprinted on her at all. I had been hoping for the Cullens to break the treaty so I could take it out on them. I was a sore loser. I'd lost the girl and gained a ward instead. Three if you count my pack as well.

_You know what I mean. You did the right thing. The Cullens aren't bad people._

_They aren't actually people, Seth._ I tried to keep that straight in my head, too. Despite what I told Sam the night I broke away. Vampires weren't people. However, the Cullens were more people than any vampire I'd ever encountered, and the more I hung around them, the more human they seemed. They were humans once. All of them, except Nessie. She was the only one born into the supernatural like I was. We had weird stuff going on in our blood. Me, a horse-sized wolf and her, a kid with superhuman growth and intelligence. Well, you know what they say, birds of a feather...

_To me, they are people. They're a family. And they should be to you too. Or is what you preached to Sam the other night not what you really think? Even still, things are different now. You're a part of their family._

_No, I'm not. I don't know what I am._ What was I anyways? The family pet? Just call me Fido. I didn't fit in with them. They may value human life and all. What place did I have with them? Nessie's best friend and guardian wolf? How weird would that be to grow up around?

_You're her soul mate, you idiot._

_Yeah, not that simple. She's just a kid._

_So? Doesn't mean you're not important to her. Apparently, she dreams about your face as often as Edward or Bella's. Pretty big deal being ranked up with Mom and Pops._

_Yeah, okay, now shut up so I can talk to Sam._

_Shutting._ His internal voice quieted down. I could still see everything he was aware of. The three heartbeats within the Cullen's place. Bella's racing beat was the one that was the loudest. Leah's thudding heart beat the second. And lastly the one that calmed me the most was the soft flutter that almost sounded like humingbird wings, Nessie's heartbeat. A reminder that she was safe and cared for. It made this separation easier.

_Sam,_ I called out in my head. It was worth a shot. I didn't hear anything so I let out two short howls as I hit the treaty line. Collin was the first to find me. He looked nervous, apprehensive as to why I was here. I phased, bringing the rippling heat back to my spine and lifting myself upright, and naked. Nothing like forced nudity. "Collin, I need to talk to Sam. It's important."

Collin phased back, eyeing me suspiciously. "He's at Emily's. I can go get him."

"How about we go together. It'll at least show I'm not here to cause trouble."

Collin and I both phased back and headed to Emily's. He phased, dressed, and headed inside. I waited by the trees in the back. Sam was out in just a minute, concern and alarm written all over his face. I'm sure he thought I'd done it. That I killed the spawn Bella had been carrying because Bella was dead and I'm here now to come crawling back. How further from the truth that could have been, I didn't know. One thing was certain. Sam was about to get one hell of a surprise.

He phased quickly. The black wolf that was just a little shorter than me. _Jake?_

I was right. Alphas _could_ communicate. Score. _Yeah, in the-err-fur, I guess. Surprised?_

_Yes. What's going on? Is the problem taken care of? Where are Seth and Leah?_

I took a deep breath. There was something different. I didn't hear his every thought. It was almost like we were just talking in human form, only sharing thoughts we wanted to. _They're fine. Something big happened. I need you to stand down, okay?_

_Why?_ His tone was decidedly suspicious. I didn't blame him. I'd be just as wary if the shoe was on the other foot.

_Because I was wrong Sam. So wrong. The child is an innocent. She's protected by our laws now._ I hoped he got it from just this vague explanation. I had a feeling he wouldn't. It was hard for even me to wrap my head around. Imprinted. I imprinted. You know what they say, be careful what you wish for. I guess whoever they are weren't kidding around. Just the other day I was at my breaking point and went searching for her. All I felt was the pull back to the white house. I wanted to be there. No matter how much it killed me to see Bella. I didn't even care about the smell anymore. All I needed was to go back to who I thought was the only person I'd ever have the capability of loving. I was so wrong. That madness was because of Nessie. I was drawn to her. Not Bella. Nessie was the one all along. Her soul was meant to be watched over by mine. I'd only confused that extra pull with my love for Bella and the proverbial countdown to her death.

_How can the spawn of a vampire and a human be protected by the laws that govern our pack? _A valid question. I should be ready to answer this. I felt confident, but I knew how shocking this was going to be. I remembered the whammy of Quil's sudden imprint. That hadn't even been close to this one. Not only was she a baby, but oh no, she's a Cullen, too.

_Because I imprinted on her, that's why._

Wordless shock blanked out his mind. Well, the pieces he allowed me to see. Eventually only one word would come to him. _Impossible._

_Yeah, not really. Seriously, look, _I said, showing him the instant my world unraveled and reformed. _She's just a baby, Sam. I was going to do it. I was going to kill her, but in the same instant I imprinted. Whatever magic that controls imprinting wanted me to protect her. She's why I couldn't let you attack them. I physically couldn't let you. Maybe it was part of me not being okay with it ending like that, but it was also largely because of what she means to me. She's the most important person in the world to me now. Like Claire is for Quil. I won't let anyone harm her. So I came here to get you to back down. I don't want to fight with you. Neither do the Cullens._

_A half-vampire baby. _He spat. I grit my teeth over it, growling. Half-vampire or not, she's an innocent. _There are no legends that tell of this. This is something entirely new._ His shock seeped in every thought, coloring it bright yellow.

_Tell me about it. Thank God Edward's a mind reader or he might have killed me. I want to end this quasi war we have going. S'not doing anyone any good. We're as close as brothers, Sam. Please believe me. I've been around them long enough to know they don't want to fight you. Carlisle especially._

_What about Bella? Did she die?_ He asked the question, already sensing the answer. He had been willing to allow for her choice before we'd learned she wasn't sick. I'd been the one wanting a war before then. Was he willing now because I had ultimately made the decision? He'd have to respect it, and I just didn't see that happening.

_I gave Edward a special permission to break the treaty just this once. I couldn't let her die, Sam._

_That wasn't your choice to make without us, Jacob. You could have at least informed us you decided this._

_Yes it was. Ephriam made the treaty with the Cullens, not Levi. Levi may have agreed to it but it was my great-grandfather who made the deal with Carlisle. If anyone had any right to give them the okay, it was always going to be me. Also, there wasn't a whole lot of time. You were already leaning this way before we found out she was pregnant._

_I know. So Bella's becoming a vampire and you imprinted on her daughter. I have that right?_

_Yes. Should only be another day or so, now. Edward and Alice have been keeping track of her. Carlisle's checked on her a few times. They're all very positive that the change is going well._

_You do realize she'll be a newborn. Ravenous and needing to feed._ I couldn't fault his logic. Newborn vampires were dangerous. One could be reasoned with, according to Jasper. But I wasn't so sure. My only experience with newbie leeches was Victoria's army. My side hurt just thinking about that mess.

The Cullens weren't stupid though. I had to give them credit they were prepared to make this an easy transition for Bella. I didn't know if any one in the history of forever had ever chose to become a vegetarian tick. I guess Bella's view of vampires is different than mine. Wouldn't be the first time we disagreed. _Yeah. They're already making preparations to take her hunting as soon as she wakes up. Carlisle said it'll be easier to meet her daughter on a full stomach._

_And what are they hunting exactly? Newborns crave human blood._

_Animals, obviously. Bella chose joining the Cullens and their lifestyle. Getting her on the vegetarian blood diet immediately is their plan. It might actually help tame her impulses faster if she doesn't slip. At least that's the idea I've heard tossed around. No one expects her to be perfect at it. No one is so soon after the change, but they're making plans to keep her away from humans until she's contained._

_I still don't like this._ Understandably so. Allowing a newborn vampire to hunt anywhere in the surrounding territory was risky at best. I saw both sides. The need to get Bella on animal blood and to protect the area from a volatile newborn were two sides of the issue that made it hard to take.

_Yeah, I get that. It isn't about us anymore. Renesmee is who's important now._

_Renesmee?_ I laughed a little. Yeah, that wouldn't be the first time that name got a question attached to it. Why'd Bella have to go and choose a name like that? Couldn't she have chosen something a little less, I don't know, unique? Nessie didn't seem to mind the name, already turned her head when her name is mentioned.

_Yeah, that's the name Bella chose. Mouthful, I know. I call her Nessie. _That was about the easiest name I could come up with.

He let out a short bark of a laugh. _Not much better, but at least it's shorter._

I laughed as well. It was all Bella's fault anyways. _Yeah. Not a whole lot of options, there. Are we cool though, Sam?_

_Yeah, we're cool._

_Good. I'm going to swing by Billy's then and explain everything._

He turned to go back up to the house, to phase and dress himself but stopped just before the steps. _Where are Leah and Seth?_

_At the Cullens. I asked them to stay behind just in case you didn't listen to me. I had a feeling you would when I told you what had changed, but I couldn't take the risk._

_Believe me, I understand._

* * *

><p>My little red house was abuzz with voices when I approached it. I grumbled, letting the noise roll through my chest. Paul was over, as was Rachel. Perfect. Just what I needed was a happy sappy imprint couple to deal with. Then again, it may help to have Paul there when I explain that I imprinted on an infant.<p>

_Seth, you and Leah can come home to get clothes or whatever you need._

_I'll tell Leah. She might want to stay until after Bella wakes up. Jasper said it might be a smart idea for us to be around in case she snaps. We can help with containment. And, well, to back you up when you tell her about the imprint. Jasper said it might be what sets her off. You know how Bells had a temper when she was human, right?_

_Yeah, punched me in the face, remember?_

_Right, yeah they're kind of expecting her not take it very well._

_Yeah, I'll have to talk to Edward about that. It'll be easier if I tell her myself._

_True. You telling Billy this morning?_

_Yeah, I'll tell you about it when I come back later. _I trotted into my garage, phasing quickly and rooting around for my stash of emergency clothes. I wanted to at least feel like myself again. And, y'know, not naked as the day I was born either.

The cotton t-shirt and shorts I kept hidden in here felt amazing, and for once, I didn't reek of vampire. Guess I should get used to that. I'm going to be spending a lot of my time over there anyways. I'd do it though. I'd grin and bear it to be a part of Nessie's life. Watching her observe the world around her was fascinating.

I hesitated as I slipped on a pair of moleskines. Everything was so different. Yet here it seemed like no time had passed at all. Had everything that happened in the last couple of days really happened? Poking my head inside, I could smell that Rachel was cooking. Breakfast chilaquiles. Eggs, chorizo and potatoes with cheese. Her breakfast specialty. My stomach growled just thinking about it.

"Jacob?" I heard my dad ask as I walked in. I stopped and waved. Wow, how lame am I? I hadn't seen him in days and all I can muster is a dumb wave? Nice one, Jake.

"Hi, Dad." A little better, but it didn't do much to dispel his surprise. I guessed Paul or Sam had filled him in on my defection.

Rachel and Paul both materialized in a second. Paul eyed me carefully. "You still the leeches' lap dog?"

I scowled. "Paul," I warned. As much as it would tick Rachel off, I wanted the satisfying crunch of his nose beneath my fist again.

"What happened? Is Bella...?" My father asked. I took a deep breath, trying to find the words. "God, poor Charlie."

Another complication. Bella had thought she'd be able to see Charlie eventually. He would know she's different. "Bella is making the transformation. She's got a little bit more than a day left according to Alice."

Billy's eyes bugged out. "They broke the treaty? Does Sam know about this?"

"I let them."

"What?" All three of them asked with the same level of incredulity. Here goes nothing.

I scratched my neck. Didn't he see the logic behind this? Even without the imprint, he knew I cared enough for Bella to give her what she wanted. As misguided as I thought it was. "I wasn't going to let her die. Edward pleaded to let him save her. I gave them a one time allowance from the treaty. I mean, hell, I broke the damn treaty when I told Bella that the Cullens were vampires anyways."

Paul seethed. "You moron. She's going to be a newborn! He didn't save her, he condemned her to be a damn monster!"

I sighed, gritting my teeth. As much as I hated the existence of vampires, monster didn't seem an appropriate term anymore. Especially not when Nessie was half of what they are. How could she be a monster? I had thought so when she was just this abstract idea, this unseen terror that was breaking Bella's body. But seeing her? Imprinting on her? I knew she was far from monstrous. "She was dying, Paul. Sam said it was her choice, and we should have respected that from the beginning. The treaty doesn't cover it if it's the person's choice. Giving birth broke her spine and she was bleeding out. Even if I hadn't given Edward permission before I would have let it happen when I saw her ripped open and bleeding to death. No one deserves to die like that."

Rachel eyed the three of us. She didn't know what to make of all of this. Her education into our world it seemed had a steeper learning curve than I'd expected. "What about the baby? What happened?"

Our gazes locked for a moment. Did she sense a difference in me? "The baby is fine," I answered softly. More than fine. "Carlisle's been trying to get her on an equal diet of baby formula and the stockpile of donated human blood they had for Bella. She prefers the blood. I don't blame her formula smells worse than the vamps do."

"You didn't kill it?" Paul asked, brashly. I growled lowly. Renesmee was not an "it" to me any more.

I grimaced, remembering the hatred I bore against her before I saw her tiny heart-shaped face. "I was going to. But that stopped when I imprinted on her." I braced myself for the gasps, but no one in the room said a damn word. Seriously, this was pin-drop quality silence right here.

Billy was the most shocked. "A half-vampire baby?"

"I know. Kinda disproves what you and Sam have been arguing about. Don't ask me to explain it. Paul, you know as well as I do what this means."

Paul shook his head. "Holy crap. Damn, a Cullen? Never would have thunk it. Seth maybe. He's got that unnatural bromance with Edward. But you hate them as much as we do. And what, you're going to marry into them one day?"

"No. I don't know. She's just a baby right now. I don't even care about anything in the future as long as she's safe and happy. I really couldn't care less about anything else."

Rachel was silent though. This was a bit much for her. She comes home from college and not only does she have a werewolf soul mate but oh, no, her brother's the hereditary alpha and just imprinted on a half-vampire, half-human child. Yep we so put the fun in dysfunctional family. "I'm sorry, but you imprinted on a child? That's..."

"I know," I interrupted. "It looks weird and pretty ridiculously wrong on a lot of levels, Rach, really. But it's not, I promise you. Have you seen Quil with Claire?"

"The little girl he babysits?"

"Yes, she's his imprint," I explain as she gasps. "Now tell me is there anything off about how they act?"

"No. It's actually pretty adorable."

"See, that's the same for me with her. I just want her to have a safe and happy life. That's all that matters to me."

Rachel hummed and haw'ed over that for a minute or two. Billy was a bit more stunned still. "This isn't something we've ever heard of."

I shrugged. "I didn't know vampires and human women could have a kid either. None of them even knew it was possible. Apparently there's legends of vampires fathering children, but there was never any proof of that happening, so they just chalked it up to old wives tales to scare people."

Billy shook his head. Still trying to wrap his head around it. I could see the change in him. He'd accept this. Imprinting was as sacred to him as it was to the other imprinted wolves. He would have been a better Alpha than me. Better equipped to deal with this than I was. "What's she like?"

I grinned. How did you describe the most wholly unreal child you'd ever seen? "Amazing. Already she's crazy intuitive. Oh and get this, you know how Edward can read minds?"

"Yeah?"

"Well she can project her thoughts, through touch. She doesn't speak yet. But I'm sure she'll get there in just a few days if not a few weeks."

"Doesn't speak... yet?" Rachel asked, astonished at her advancement. Her progression was frightening and fascinating to watch. She wasn't the same child from one day to the next. Growing by leaps and bounds.

"Yep, that's the half-vamp part, I guess. She grows really fast and her intelligence is about three times as fast as how big she's getting. Carlisle is concerned about her growth, it seems to be slowing a fraction every day. But he doesn't even know what it means. None of the legends ever talked about what the child would be like. It just focused on the fact that the mothers all died. She's not venomous though. Has a heartbeat and a working circulatory system. She doesn't seem to pose a threat to humans. She likes me anyways and I'm at least half-human. Sorta."

"Fascinating," Billy remarked.

My grin only grew wider. "I know. You'll love her. Already has a strong moral compass. Hasn't tried animal blood yet, but she figures human blood is a nice compromise because no one had to die for it. You'll see she grasps concepts really quickly. All that and only a day old. Keeps asking for Bella though, naturally."

"What's her name?" Billy asked, wondering.

I chuckled. "Renesmee. Apparently it's a mash-up of Renee and Esme," I explained.

Paul snickered. "That's uh, different."

I laughed harder. "My thought, too. But she's unique, so it fits. I nicknamed her Nessie."

"Like the Loch Ness monster? Nice one, Black. Really. Does she have fins or scales, too?"

What a jackass. I rolled my eyes at him and turned to my Dad. "How'd Edward take your new outlook?"

I shrugged. "Not exactly jumping for joy. But I understand and so does he. Blon-er Rosalie was miffed; that was actually entertaining, to say the least. With Edward's mind reading he could see the truth, which helped a lot because Emmett was all ready to back his wife up in shredding me to kibble," I threw out there. Paul snorted at the comment about Emmett. Still sore about that fight getting broken up, I see.

The four of us recirculated into the kitchen, where Rachel handed us plates. My stomach growled again loudly. "Aw, vamps not feeding you? You'd think they'd like having pets around. Or is Purina One not your cup of tea?"

Paul was in rare form today.I laughed a little, throwing a hard punch to his shoulder. He winced and Rachel gave us a disapproving look. I shrugged. He deserved much more than a slug to the shoulder. "No, just haven't eaten much today. Been a little preoccupied with talking to Sam. Edward is actually a really good cook. Just ask Seth. Oddly, Rosalie is as well. I guess they learned so they could feed Bella. Leah took a stand and wouldn't eat anything they made. Not even the cinnamon rolls. So she and I ate raw most of the time. She appreciated the solidarity."

"Ew, seriously? Raw deer blows."

I shrugged. "In wolf form s'not so bad. Feels natural once you just think like a wolf."

Rachel wrinkled her nose. "Okay, seriously, no talk about killing deer and eating them raw at the table please."

"You staying for breakfast, Jake?"

"Yeah, I'm starving. I let Seth and Leah know that it's safe to return to the rez if they want. They probably won't come this close to Bella waking up. Jasper was thinking of having us help keep Bella contained. Though the whole I imprinted on her daughter thing might piss her off."

"Dude, she punched you for just kissing her. Now you imprint on her kid? Yeah, I can see where that will tick her off."

"I know, but maybe I can talk her down. It's what she wanted. I'm in her life. I'll love her the right way now. The way it should have always been between us." We all sat down around the table and dug in. It felt so normal to just sit here with my family and eat. Yet everything was pulling me back to Forks. An invisible tie around my chest that tugged unpleasantly. I'd need to go back as soon as breakfast was over. Just to see her little sleeping face and know she's all right. Silly of me, I knew she would be fine in the capable hands of her family, but I wouldn't be able to sit still until I was back there.

Amazing how that shift in my gravity now encompassed all aspects of my life.

* * *

><p>Charlie's face had been priceless. I mean really, you had to see it. All slack jawed and horrified when I started stripping off my clothes. He tried to stop me, but I phased in front of him. The bottle of root beer that had been in his hands crashed to the ground, shattering and fizzing all over the place. Totally worth the exposure to get that kind of a reaction. Bella was pissed at me though. I really didn't care. Whatever. It kept them from running. I couldn't have dealt with that. Bella's control was another thing that was startling. Who knew a newborn could control themselves enough to hug a human?<p>

In the couple of days that passed, a routine was slowly setting in. Charlie was hanging around a lot more. Nessie was growing and beginning to really explore the world around her. Sue had even accompanied him a few times. Nessie loved them both; you could tell because of the way she'd light up when the cruiser would turn down the driveway. Bella hated the brown contacts though. They annoyed her, but they were a necessary evil to allow Charlie to come over. Having her appear as human as possible was vital to keeping Charlie as much in the dark as possible while still allowing him to be in his daughter and granddaughter's lives.

Frankly, I thought the need to know business was genius. So much had happened in a week. Bella decimated a boulder post arm wrestling victory over Emmett. He was cross ever since, always challenging her to a rematch. Charlie was over nearly every day. Today had been the first time he couldn't because he was covering a shift for one of his deputies.

The other wolves were growing restless. They all wanted to come see her. Meet the little girl who had caused so much commotion. She was just this mystery to them I guess. They'd only seen what I had in my head the day I told Sam about the imprint. She'd changed so much in just a week. Her growth was, in a word, unreal. This time I was at least smart enough to clear it with Bella, seeing as Emily and the other imprints wanted to come too, along with Billy.

Bella was nervous, bobbing her leg up and down and chewing on her lip. For a second she looked so much like the human she once was. "Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

Edward just grinned at her. "If you didn't hurt Charlie or Sue, I really doubt that Emily or any of the imprints will be harmed. Besides, there will be enough wolves to mask the human scent."

Bella grimaced. "Oh joy. More wet dog," she remarked, throwing a smirk at me. There's the Bella I know. Nessie shifted against her mother's bouncing knee. She wasn't accustomed to all the jostling. "Sorry, babygirl," she whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Momma's just nervous."

"Yeah, there are going to be a lot of wolves coming over today, and some humans too."

Nessie perked up. "Wolves? Are they like you, Jacob?" I grinned widely at her. She liked the wolf me just as much as the human me.

"Yep."

"And just as smelly," Emmett threw in, grabbing Nessie from Bella's lap and tossing her up in the air. Her peals of laughter brought smiles to everyone's faces. Bella just shook her head, marvelling at the little one.

When she'd climbed around to Emmett's back I explained further, "They're actually part of my tribe. Sam's pack. I used to be a part of it, until I broke away to keep you safe," I told her, giving her nothing but the truth. I was at the time unknowingly protecting her. Really, I thought I was protecting Bella. In truth that had been only part of it. "You'll get to meet my friends," I added.

She smiled widely at the prospect of new people to meet. Friends. She didn't have many of those really. She loved Seth, Leah, and Sue, but everyone else aside from me she was related to in some shape or form. I had a feeling, especially if Quil was bringing Claire that Nessie would love her.

"How many of the imprints are coming?" Alice asked, taking her place next to Bella. She was a bit disgruntled that there would be so many wolves in attendance, but she knew this was also necessary. Being blind, though, tended to frustrate her. I guess they relied on their special talents quite a bit.

"All of them, I think. They were all a bit squeamish about bringing them, especially Quil. He was really apprehensive about bringing Claire, but really, like we're going to let anything happen. Even if you were the slightest bit tempted, we'd have all of us to stop you."

"This is true," Bella answered, pursing her lips. It was still amazing how much she'd changed and yet stayed the same. She was still worried that she'd snap eventually and go murder half the town. I doubted it. If she didn't kill people mid-hunt or harm Charlie and Sue, I highly doubted that this was going to be a big deal like she was trying to make it out to be.

"And you didn't hurt Charlie. That's huge. I really think there's nothing to worry about."

"You do realize that the thirst burns like a hot poker being shoved down your throat," Edward warned.

I sighed. Again with the 'you're hurting Bella' crap? "I know. And I'm sorry for that. It's important not only that they meet here but that they see you aren't a danger to the Rez or Forks. This may be Cullen territory, but it is still covered by the treaty."

"They should be here soon," Jasper added from his post near the back doors. The small amount of furniture here in the backyard would allow for enough space and air for Bella to feel relaxed. There'd also be enough wolves to mask the human scents that would be present as well. I knew she'd be fine. Despite everyone else's worries, I knew different. Same old Bella underneath the vamp exterior.

Was it like that for all of them? Being witness to this transformation was questioning everything I knew about vampires in general. The stories we knew of ruthless killers little more than disdain for human life weren't true for Bella, or as I was beginning to find out, any of her new family. Yeah, even Blondie. Jasper's early life had been like that from what I could surmise. No one knew that much battle strategy without a massive amount of experience. Sam's truck crunched along the driveway, drawing everyone's attention elsewhere. Quil's car and Paul's van were right behind them.

"Guess that's my cue. I'll go bring them in. Most of them have never seen a vampire's lair," I mused, throwing a smirk at Edward.

He rolled his eyes, trying to mask a similar smile. Hah. See, this won't be such a huge deal. Esme met me at the front door to welcome them into her home. Never thought I'd be entertaining guests here, let alone being all that comfortable around a bunch of vampires. Esme had that warm nature about her. Something was so obviously maternal in how she handled everything. Strange since female vampires can't actually have kids. Maybe she'd been a mother once before? Who knew. They didn't often remember their human lives. Leah and Seth were already out front, coming up from running here. Leah looked much more relaxed and tense all at the same time. "You're an idiot," she muttered.

"Am not."

"Are too. I get that Bella has some super self control, but everyone? Really? What if Claire skins her knee?"

"I really doubt that's going to happen. She's not the tomboy type to go climbing trees."

Esme chuckled. "You'd be surprised how even the most delicate of girls can be goaded into climbing a tree."

I gave her a look. What the Hell did she mean by that? Claire was hardly old enough to even have a fraction of the upper body strength to go climbing any of the trees that surrounded the Cullens' property.

Her laughter grew louder as she looked at my bewildered expression. "I was sixteen and human. It's how Carlisle and I first met. I broke my leg falling out of a tree."

I tried to picture a younger Esme, human and soft, not hard moving crystal. I almost couldn't. Almost. "You climbed trees?"

"Farm town. It was 1911 and it wasn't quite accepted for polite young ladies to do so. My mother was furious, which at the time, was half the fun of doing it."

I shook my head at her. "Esme, the rebel. Who knew?" I muttered, leaning on the newel post as I watched everyone begin to approach the house. Bella had told me about how she died or rather how Carlisle had found her again. Esme just shrugged amusedly at my joke.

"Hey, guys," I called out with a wave. Paul held the door for my sister. I tried not to grit my teeth over that one. At least he was treating her with respect. I had to admit that much at least. Still why'd it have to be Paul? Couldn't it have been Seth or Brady? Someone who wasn't the wolf equivalent of nails on a chalkboard? Guess not.

Moving down into the yard, I found my dad in the back seat of Paul's van. "Set up my chair, will ya, Jacob?" I reached in, grabbing his chair and set it up. He staggered a little as I helped him get settled despite his protests that he could get into the chair himself. Stubborn old man. Once settled, we walked, or rather he rolled to the porch. Esme greeted him with a warm smile.

"Welcome to our home," she announced. Billy smiled at her.

"Home? More like mausoleum," Paul muttered. I rolled my eyes. Esme was trying to be nice despite the fact that Sam's pack had been all for tearing her family to shreds. Then again, I'd been up for it just hours before that.

"Save the insult, man. They've been kind enough to host this little get together here. A little respect goes a long way."

"Look at you, defending the leeches. Didn't you use to hate them? Or does nothing that happened before you imprinted matter anymore to you?"

"Things are different now," I sighed. So different. Breaking away from Sam had been a huge disrespect to the other wolves, I knew that coming back here I'd get met with a lot of skepticism.

"Yeah, you go and imprint and suddenly we're having brunch with the ticks."

Quil punched Paul's arm. "You didn't have to come, you know." I grinned at Quil appreciatively for the backup. As much as I knew it was right for Quil and Embry to stay with Sam, it was easy to see that I'd missed my wingmen.

Rachel came up next, shooting Quil a disapproving look. How annoying was it that my own sister took Paul's side now on everything? Extremely so. We're blood for Pete's sake. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't be too angry. She felt a connection to him. The imprint always felt some kind of draw to the wolf. It's just how it worked. Nessie felt it too, though she interpreted that as more possessive friendship. I was her friend. Emphasis on the hers part. "I wanted to. Paul didn't feel comfortable letting me."

"Yeah, Black, letting your sister into a house with a newborn isn't the brightest idea, kay?" Paul added, shifting nervously. He was on edge, I could tell. The fringes of him were blurring slightly like a tuning fork.

I chuckled. So nervous and there wasn't really anything to be nervous about. Bella had to be the tamest newborn I'd ever come across. I guess Jasper was right, one newborn you could reason with. Twenty newborns required a little something extra to keep them under control. "Wait 'til you see how tame Bella is. You'll understand why I'm so calm about this. She's got her act together."

Esme chose to speak up then. "Let's head out back. Everyone's waiting."

Everyone followed into the house. Emily looked around almost in awe of the expanse of the house. Embry and Quil had been here before with me in June. The house looked different to them now considering it wasn't dressed up like some night club. Everyone was nervous, that much was certain. I was on edge as well. This was a big deal no matter how much I wanted to downplay it.

I could see Bella outside, whispering to Nessie and taking a few deep breaths. She'd opted to not wear her contacts since the imprints and Billy all knew the whole truth. Jasper met us at the back door, casting out a wave of calming energy. Everyone seemed to settle as they got within range. I shot him an appreciative glance. He may be a weird one, but at least he was kind enough to settle everyone's nerves. Nessie smiled widely when she saw me step out with Esme.

"Nessie, kiddo, there's a lot of people here to meet you," I told her.

Her face flushed more than usual and her eyes lit up. So adorable and eager. Billy was the first out as everyone filtered into the backyard. Sam looked to me. I shrugged. "Figured fresh air would be easiest on everyone," I replied.

He nodded. "Good call."

Gasps rang out as Bella came into view. She'd changed, and all of them were registering it. No longer soft and human, but a moving statue. Crystalline and fearsome looking. Seth and Leah took seats around the lawn. Everyone else stood and stared. "Hi," she said lamely, waving a little.

"Holy crap," Jared stared, then eyed Kim next to him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders protectively. Quil held Claire on his side. She was burying her face into his chest, the new faces made her a little shy at first.

"Bella?" Emily asked, ready to take a step forward. Sam half covered her instead to keep them separated. Worry for her safety etched into his face. I laughed a little and went over to Renesmee. She reached for me immediately, straining for my face. I leaned down to her level so she could reach me – a disadvantage to being so damn tall – so her little fingers could catch the edge of my jaw.

Images laced with questions colored my thoughts green and blue. "Yes, some of them are wolves like me. You see Sam over there? The girl behind him is Emily. She's your mama's friend. And she's human."

"Is she human like Grandpa Charlie?" she asked, speaking for the benefit of others present. More gasps emanated from everyone except her family. She was growing so fast and spoke so much like an adult instead of a regular child.

"Yes, but I don't think she'd mind if you showed her things like you do with us. Right Emily?"

She grinned widely. "No, that's all right with me. I'm good with strange."

Sam tensed as Emily replied. It went against the grain, bringing the one person who you cared about most in the world to the place you thought was the most dangerous. Every last imprinted wolf, save for me, was on edge. Quil hung back the farthest with Claire wrapped around his arm and shoulders. There was no way he was going to risk her until he was absolutely sure Bella was not a threat.

Seeing the tautness to his shoulders and the set of his jaw, Bella tried to set him at ease. "Sam, I think it'll be fine. Emily come on up, but slowly okay?" Bella said in a voice that most of them almost didn't recognize.

Emily sidestepped Sam and he cast a worried look in my direction. I grinned. Oh, just relax. Emily was braver than I realized. She stared down eight vampires with ease. Figures she'd be excellent to deal with this level of weird. She was engaged to a werewolf after all. Bella stood adjusting Nessie on her hip. Nessie wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders and grinned at this new person. Emily hesitantly moved forward. Bella grinned at her as she drew close. "You look so different now," Emily murmured. Her eyes went wide and jaw slackened.

Bella shrugged. "That's what everyone keeps telling me. I mean I feel different too, but I'm still me."

"Yeah, the eyes though. How long will they stay red?"

Bella shrugged, looking to Edward and Carlisle for guidance. They'd explained it should fade with time. It wasn't like there was some magic day then suddenly they'd flick to bright gold. "It depends on the newborn, apparently. The longer she stays on an animal diet, the more the red will fade to gold."

Emmett chuckled. "Probably a few months for Bella then. She's not your average newborn."

"Tell that to the boulder," I shot back. Emmett scowled, clearly still disgruntled about losing. You could tell he was laughing at least on the inside. Well, maybe.

Everyone turned their eyes on me. "Bella went all _Wonder Woman_ on the boulder after kicking Emmett's butt at arm wrestling."

Billy let out a holler of a laugh. Everyone else, though, looked at Bella, how small and unintimidating she still was and then to Emmett. He was only a couple inches shorter than me and buffer than Quil and I put together. Totally ironic if you were just looking at Bella right now. A true testament to how strong. "Really? That's so cool," Embry replied, grinning widely.

"Yeah, he was making inappropriate comments in front of Charlie," she explained, shooting a glare at Emmett.

"Hah, inappropriate is not in my vocabulary," Emmett boasted.

"Obviously," Bella and I both muttered. We exchanged a glance, smiling at one another. Must be thinking on the same wavelength. Edward snickered. I was surprised he couldn't read her face like I could after so long and everything they'd been through. I didn't know what gave me the ability to read Bella so easily. I'd thought once upon a time that it was because there was meant to be something between us but I was wrong about that, apparently. Or maybe it was because she was Nessie's mom. Essentially half Nessie, genetically speaking. They both had such readable faces. Nessie didn't need an extra ability for me to understand exactly what she was thinking. Open books, the pair of them.

"You saw Charlie?" Emily asked, almost paling at the thought.

"Yes, everyone can relax. I didn't try to kill anyone."

"Yeah except for lunging for my throat," I joked.

She side eyed me. "You nicknamed my daughter after a Scottish folk tale. You had it coming with a nickname like that. The imprinting I can deal with. The nickname sent me over the edge."

"Yeah, she's totally cool with you hanging around her kid, just don't name her a sea serpent," Rosalie spat at me.

"Oh, you're just jealous because you got knocked down on Nessie's list of favorites because of me."

Blondie narrowed her eyes at me, a witty comeback was forming, you could almost hear the grinding of the wheels turning in her head. That is if her head wasn't full of air. However she thought better of it and shook her head instead. What a pity. I always did love a good insult session with her.

Nessie pressed her hand to her mother's face then, a little 'v' formed between her eyebrows. "Sweetie, I don't know if that's appropriate to ask."

Bella's answer only made me more curious. "What did she ask?"

Edward grimaced a little and I knew exactly what Nessie had wondered before he even spoke. Emily's scars weren't exactly a conversation piece, but I got her curiosity. It was quite jarring the first time you looked at Emily's face. One half was pristine, beautiful even. Then the other was mangled because of one split second of undiluted rage. A mistake Sam would have the visual reminder of the rest of their lives.

"She was wondering how..." he trailed off motioning to half of his face. Emily nodded solemnly, understanding immediately. Sam grunted in disapproval. It wasn't something he liked being talked about at all. It bugged him more earlier on. But to be brought up now just reminded him how powerless he was to protect his imprint from even himself. I had an acute awareness of that now. My murderous hatred of my own imprint before I'd even met her would forever be my lowest point. And here I thought going feral for weeks because of a broken heart was the lowest of the low. I was grateful for the imprint for making me stop. For making me see how vital Nessie is to not just my own life now, but her family too.

"Well, in all honesty, it's what can happen if you happen to infuriate a young werewolf and stand too close when you do," Emily answered smoothly.

"Emily," Sam said, his voice pained.

She turned back to him and narrowed her expression to a scowl. "Oh shut it, she asked and deserves to know. It's in the past. Can't change it, so might as well move on, right?" she supposed. Sam nodded, but from the firm line of his mouth you could tell he was choking back a whole lot of self loathing.

Embry came over to get a better look at Nessie. "Nessie, huh? She's cute," he said, flicking her curls.

Bella smiled, but it was only half-hearted. She threw me a withering glance before pressing a kiss to Ness's temple. "She's perfect. And it's Renesmee. No contraction."

Embry chuckled. "Aw, come on. Nessie's a cute name," he says as Ness reaches her hand out to him. He grinned widely, patting her hand with his own. "Can I hold her?"

"Sure," Bella said, after a split second of hesitation, she handed her over. As soon as her daughter is out of her arms you can see her nerves set in. She flashed her eyes to Jasper, who only smirked back to her and nodded once. An extra pulse of calming energy blanketed over the backyard. Jasper's quite handy to have around tense situations.

Embry took her easily. "Hi, Nessie. Don't let your mama give you a complex about your nickname." Nessie grinned and placed her hand to his face. I snickered, waiting for the gasp. Embry didn't disappoint either. His eyes bugged out and he shifted her weight in his arms, holding her a little away from himself. "Whoa, was that you?" he asked. She smiled even wider, her full set of teeth gleaming. Her hand pressed again to his face, causing him to chuckle. "Well, little lady, I'm Embry Call. It's nice to meet you, too." he replied. Turning to Quil, he snickered. "She's so polite it's scary. Bring Claire here."

Nessie watched with rapt attention as Quil brought the little girl over to her. She'd never seen a human child before. Her face was awestruck at how similar Claire was to herself, yet how insanely different. Claire peeked at Nessie for a moment then lifted her head off of Quil's shoulder. Quil chuckled. "Nessie, this is Claire Young. She's a normal little girl. She just turned three years old," Embry stated, doing the honors. I felt so outside of it all. But I loved the spectator's seat just as much. Getting to read her reaction as she examined all this new information was probably one of the coolest things in the world.

Nessie eyed this new person and slowly reached out her hand. "Hello, Claire," she said softly in that clear soprano that had everyone a bit aghast with just how clearly she spoke. I didn't know what to be more proud of, her kindness or how she immediately gauged her speech to meet Claire's understanding.

Claire turned to look at Quil, still unsure. Claire was a chatty sort, but she had that shy side that came out around new people. She, like Nessie, were meeting a whole lot of unfamiliar faces today. It had to be nervewracking. "It's okay, Claire-bear. This is Nessie Cullen. She's a friend."

Nessie beamed at Quil. She'd never had a friend aside from me or Seth and Leah. She considered us a part of her family though so technically we didn't count. "Neswie," Claire tested out.

Nessie's brow furrowed and she looked to Bella and Edward. He grinned and took a step forward. Embry handed her over easily. "Human children take time to develop the oratory skills you already have, little one," he cooed. She swung her eyes back to Claire and smiled at her.

Claire smiled back and before long, the two were giggling like long lost best friends. Kids were strange creatures for sure. No more than three minutes had passed and the girls acted like they'd known each other all their lives. Which for Ness was only a week, but still. I came over and Claire lit up like Times Square. "Unca Jay! Unca Jay!" she squealed, reaching for me with grabbing hands. I just chuckled and took her from Quil.

"How are ya, Claire?" I asked, reaching out and ruffling her hair. A few pieces stuck straight up all _Little Rascals_ style.

"Make frenz!" she replied with so much delight she was clapping.

"That would be Claire-nese for Nessie's her new friend," Quil translated. Three-year-olds didn't talk like adults the way Nessie did just at one week.

Nessie radiated joy at the prospect of a normal friend. Emily came over to us and grinned widely. "I'll take Claire, if you'll introduce Nessie to Billy. He's itching to see her," she whispered.

"Hey, Bells," I called over.

"Yeah?"

"C'mere for a sec," I said, taking Nessie with one arm. Her little hand came up to my neck and she began oozing her excitement about making a new friend in Claire.

Bella moved slowly, uncertain of my intent. "How about we go introduce her to my Dad? I'm sure he'd love to get a load of your new look too."

She smirked, rolling her eyes. "Sure, sure." And there it was. Like no time had passed at all and all the drama was just some distant unpleasant memory. We were just Jake and Bells again, no complications or unrequited feelings. She was laughing, a new sound I wasn't quite used to yet. I found myself laughing right along with her as we walked over to my father, meeting him in the middle of the yard.

Nessie looked at his face, then to mine. The question in her thoughts was pretty clear. She wondered if we were related. "Yeah, we are, kiddo. Renesmee Carlie Cullen, I present you my Dad - Billy Black," I said with a little flare for the dramatic added in. She giggled and reached one hand toward him. I almost laughed at the secondary question in her mind.

She wondered if he was a wolf like me. "No, sometimes it skips generations depending on if there's vampires around," I told her. She seemed satisfied with the answer but already had dozens of more questions lined up.

Billy reached for her and I handed her over. He oof'd when he took her into his lap. "Well aren't you a growing girl," he mused, grinning at her. "You're the one causing all this commotion, huh?"

She shrugged and pressed her hands to his face. He sat silently, watching images and memories unfold before him. His eyes never wavered from hers until she finished with her story. "That is some talent you have there, Nessie. I know your Grandpa Charlie, you know. We're old friends." Nessie seemed entirely giddy to hear that. Billy shifted her in his lap. "Gotta say, Bella, you look different."

"Good different or bad different?" she countered with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"I'm more partial to the human you, but I can get used to the new you."

"Good. At least the red eyes won't be permanent. I don't think that would go over well with Charlie. Did Jacob tell you about his little strip show in Charlie's yard?"

I threw my head back and cackled. I knew she'd find some way to bring it up.

"Whoa, wait. Jake went all Chippendale for the Chief? Well, I didn't know you swung that way, Jake," Quil shot at me. Both he and Embry made kissy noises at me. I rolled my eyes and remember a somewhat similar conversation over a week ago right before everything went to Hell in a hand basket.

I glanced back at Emily conspiratorially. She grinned, knowing I was about to fish for blackmail. She had an ample amount of it, especially where Quil was concerned. "Hey Emily, do you mind if I get some copies of Claire's birthday pictures? You know, for posterity."

Quil barked out a laugh. "Yeah, yeah, just wait until she has a birthday. Or oh, hey Esme, do you have a tea set?" he asked, looking to the matriarch.

Esme nodded. "Sure do," she replied, catching on.

"Claire-bear would you like to invite Ms. Nessie to a tea-party?"

"Tea par-tee! Tea par-tee wif Neswie! Cwaire and Neswie goin' hab so much funnn!" Claire squealed, throwing her hands up in the air and clapping them over her head. Even surrounded by wolves and vampires, one mention of tea-parties or dolls and that's really all Claire cared about.

"Momma, what's a tea party?" Nessie asked Bella. She had no real concept of what it was to be a normal child. I was grateful that Quil had even mentioned it.

I chuckled at the grin that spread across Bella's face. This was one of the cool things about being a kid. Make believe. You could be anything you wanted in the realm of imagination. A pirate or in Claire's case a princess. I gave Nessie to her mother, watching as she adjusted her smoothly. "A tea party is where little girls pretend to drink tea and eat cookies from a fancy tea set."

"What's tea, then?" she asked further.

"Tea is a drink that humans like to drink. It's made from dried leaves being soaked in hot water."

Nessie's face scrunched up. That certainly didn't sound appetizing to her. Bella laughed. "Well you can sweeten it with honey and lemon, too. It's actually pretty good from what I remember. Your grandma Renee would make a special kind of tea when I was sick as a child to soothe a tummy ache."

"What'dya say, Nessie? How's about a tea party?" Quil offered.

Claire pouted at him. "No boys awowed," she declared with a wave of her arms.

"Sounds like someone's in the boys have cooties phase," I mentioned. I wondered if Nessie would ever go through a phase like that. I hardly thought she would. She was so entirely mature for such a small child. The idea of cooties seemed below her somehow. Yet she seemed so happy to entertain Claire's ideas. I don't think there would ever be someone so entirely unusually different than her.

Not like I'm biased or anything.

Quil chuckled. "And may it be a very long phase too. No way do I even want to think about what she's going to be like when she goes boy crazy. Cooties are excellent."

"Quil, you should buy stock in Kleenex. I have a feeling she's going to be quite the charmer when she's older," Collin countered.

He grimaced. "Another thing I really don't want to think about for the next 14 years. I will lay the smackdown on someone if they break her heart," Quil added. Claire turned in his arms and placed both hands at his face and smiled her super cheese smile she was known for. He just grinned right back.

Emily gathered Claire up in her arms. "Bella and Esme, why don't we have a girls only tea party in the dining room. What do you think Claire? Nessie?" Nessie nodded emphatically and Claire just giggled and continued clapping.

Esme smiled and led them in the house. Jasper gravitated toward the dining room. Maybe it was because Claire was such a happy child, or maybe it was just to reassure Bella. Whatever it was, I found myself heading inside as well to witness Nessie's first truly normal moment as a child. I mean really what's more normal and entirely human than a tea party for a little girl?

* * *

><p>Late that evening, just around Nessie's normal bedtime, I stood in the doorway to what apparently used to be Edward's room on the third floor. Leaning on the doorjamb, I watched Billy read to Renesmee. She was listening with absolute attention on his voice and words. My dad was always the best storyteller. His voice changed pitch and volume for each character in her book. A sci-fi of her choosing. His voice bellowed and boomed at all the appropriate points as he told her all about Captain Nemo and the Nautilus' adventures under the sea.<p>

Bella and Edward watched Billy with her in awe. Claire had long since passed out on the bed next to Nessie. She was still wide awake and enraptured by the story. "He's so good with her."

"Yeah, he used to read to us when we were kids. Even after..." After the accident. It was the one thing that didn't change in our house when my mother died. Despite being destroyed everywhere else, he made it a point to have some sort of story at night for us. It only stopped when we all got too old for bedtime stories. It was nice to see the stories return.

Sam found me and smiled at the scene I was eavesdropping on. "Can we talk?"

"Sure thing," I said, following him away from the door to see what he wanted.

"She's spectacular, by the way," he remarked as we moved downstairs.

I smirked. "Yeah, she is. She's pretty taken with my dad. You see how she's hanging on his every word?"

"Well, that's Billy for you. He always has a way with kids."

"Yeah, Claire's already sacked out from his first story. Ness is on her second. Kid just consumes books and knowledge like a sponge."

"Anyways, my point is that I'm glad you broke away. You were right, Jake. I think we'll be discussing some amendments to the treaty. Things are very different now."

"Thank you, Sam. Really." It was entirely lame, but I really was appreciative that he was okay with everything. Nothing really would ever be the same now. In a really good way. At least I hoped. It wasn't wrong to hope. Not when I had so much to hope for.

Embry and Quil joined him on either side. "And another thing," he said, pausing for dramatic effect. "I gave these two idiots my blessing to join your pack."

I looked at all three of them. "What? Wait, not that I'm not happy about this, but seriously think about what you're doing."

"They have been itching to break away since you did. I ordered everyone to stay together. They wouldn't shut up though, that night."

"So that's what all the howling was about?" The night it happened, howling had gone on and you could almost hear it half way to Forks. Despite the damage it might have done to my friends, I knew it was the right decision. Protecting your imprint from any harm, even yourself, was always the right choice.

"Dude, do you even realize how freaked out we were when all of a sudden you and Seth were incommunicado?" Embry reasoned.

"Yeah, freaky man. Besides, you miss us and you know it." He had a point. Though the pack mind was about to get noisier with those two around.

"As long as you don't mind answering to Leah too," I replied. I figured that since this whole pack thing was going to be for real that it was best to flesh out the extraneous details.

"Aw, really?" Embry said, feigning disgust. He was doing that to get a rise out of Leah.

"I heard that!" Leah shouted from the living room. Mission accomplished.

Quil just shrugged. "I don't care. So long as Leah isn't a tyrant, I can deal." A low laugh rolled through me. Leah was a great many things, but a despot? Highly unlikely. At least now she'd have one extra thing to hold over the guys' heads. Not only the fastest, but also my second in command. My beta, as Bella had called it months ago.

Embry snorted. I patted his shoulder. "I was going to make you third, but since you don't want to work with Leah..."

"No, I can handle Leah. She's not that bad when she isn't being a bitter harpy."

I grimaced. As much as Leah and I bickered like siblings, I understood her more than most people would even try to. We'd both been through the bad side of a love triangle and come out on the other side beaten and broken. She had my respect forever for how she broke from Sam not just to escape her own pain, but to keep her brother safe. I'd be in debt to her for a long time for all that she's done for me the past days. "Hey, she had my back when I needed it most. So be nice to her, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," they both acquiesced.

I grinned at the two of them. "Huh, seems my pack's gone and gained two knuckleheads."

Quil snickered. "Knucklehead? Hello Pot have you met Kettle?"

The three of us cackled. My life was really piecing itself back together now. My friends were back. Heartache was gone. And old wounds were beginning to heal between the packs and the Cullens. I mean, we weren't about to break out a campfire, guitar and do a round robin of kumbaya, but still, things were falling into place. In more ways than I ever thought they could. Puzzle pieces that didn't seem like the were meant to fit together rotated, adjusting to find their natural fit.

Yeah, things were going to work out just fine. They just had to. After all, I had fate on my side now. All signs pointed to yes in my mental magic 8 ball. Friends, family, a future, and a stronger treaty. What more could you ask for? Not a damn thing. And here I thought imprinting was, arguably, one of the worst things that could ever happen. Turns out it's what made everything right again.

* * *

><p><strong>The End<strong>

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